Before we start trying the delicious Japanese cuisine, I want to give you some tips when eating in this country:
Meal times in Japan
Regarding breakfast hours , I would tell you that it is almost the same as in the rest of the world and it will depend a lot on the time you get up, obviously.
As for lunch , the Japanese usually eat it between noon and 2:00 p.m. Please note that many restaurants often close their kitchens after these hours.
Dinner in Japan is usually given between 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. It is not common, as in Argentina , for example , to go to a restaurant for dinner after 10:00 p.m. If it is common to go for a few drinks at that time, but not to eat.
Get used to using chopsticks
As you well know, in Japan they eat with chopsticks or hashi and not with a knife and fork. At first it will be a little difficult for you to handle them, but with the passing of meals you will master it easily sushi. It is not as complicated as it seems.
Remember that chopsticks are always made of wood. If they bring you plastic chopsticks it means two things: either that the restaurant is not of high quality or that you are in a Chinese restaurant.
And what do I do with the soup?
There is nothing more beautiful than eating soups in Japan. Not only because they are exquisite and there are hundreds of types, but it is the most practical thing in the world.
Do you remember how you used to eat soup when you were a kid before you learned to use a spoon? Yes. You would hold the bowl or deep plate with both hands and take it as if it were a large glass.
Well, that’s how they take it in Japan. And if you make a lot of noise better, this means that you have a good appetite and that you are enjoying the food.
So forget about Western conventions when it comes to eating soups.
What not to do with chopsticks
Do not use them as if they were drumsticks against the dishes or the table. You are not Ringo Starr or Roger Taylor .
Don’t suck them. Yes, I know you’ll be tempted to suck on the food left on the tip, but don’t. He is frowned upon.
Don’t leave them lying on the table. For this, they will give you a small piece called hashioki , which is like a smaller rectangular plate where you can rest them when you are not eating.
Do not stick it in the food as if it were a vampire. Just leave it gently on that little plate that I tell you and that’s it.
Do not use it to stir food even if, for example, the soup is hot. That is not done.
Do not pass the food to your friend or partner or table neighbor from one toothpick to another. That is not done either.
Do not point at any person with chopsticks. In addition to the fact that you can take out an eye, it should not be done either.
Don’t dig into food scraps with chopsticks. This is very obvious but just in case I tell you.
Let alone scratch with chopsticks.
Tipping is not allowed in Japanese restaurants.
In Japan, you don’t leave a tip anywhere, not in hotels, not to taxi drivers, not to restaurants. This is frowned upon by Japanese culture and for many it can be an insult.
I know that it is very normal in the rest of the world to leave an addition as a sign of good treatment and good food, but in Japan it is not seen this way.
So, when they finish eating and pay the bill, they just say thank you and leave without leaving a tip on the table.
How to pay the bill in a restaurant in Japan
When paying the bill, it is generally done at the counter or at the cash register. Not at the table. In Japan there is a culture of not mixing food with money.
If you pay in cash you should not hand the money to the person who is charging you. You simply leave it in some containers next to the box and wait for the return. Just like if you do it with cards. You leave it in that container and wait for them to charge you.